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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/25143685">Two Truths and a Lie</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/startrekkingaroundasgard/pseuds/startrekkingaroundasgard'>startrekkingaroundasgard</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>Ladies of Marvel Bingo 2019/20 [8]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Marvel Cinematic Universe, Thor (Movies)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, F/F, F/M, Falling In Love, Female Loki (Marvel), First Kiss, Fluff, Genderfluid Loki (Marvel), Lady Loki, Lies, Love Confessions, New Asgard, Post-Avengers: Endgame (Movie), Reader Insert, Romance, Superpowers, Timeline What Timeline, gender neutral reader</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-07-08</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-07-08</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-05 02:33:27</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Teen And Up Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>3,934</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/25143685</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/startrekkingaroundasgard/pseuds/startrekkingaroundasgard</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>The reader has a special ability that allows them to know when someone is lying. When Loki suspects that the reader’s power doesn’t work on her, she sets up a game to test her theory. Over the months, the pair grow close and Loki confesses her feelings through their little game.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Brunnhilde | Valkyrie (Marvel) &amp; Reader, Loki (Marvel)/Reader</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>Ladies of Marvel Bingo 2019/20 [8]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/series/1609546</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>3</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>59</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>Two Truths and a Lie</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>The sun was shining down on New Asgard, the salty air fresh as it rolled in from the open seas, the call of the distant waves singing to you on the breeze. You smiled as the people as you walked through the town, matched their smiles and clasped their hands. </p><p>    “Good to see you again,” they said. The polite words made your skin crawl, the lies not malicious but untruthful just the same. They were simply tired and didn’t have time to sit around and chat; the sea called to them as it did you, only they had the strength to venture out and master the waves where you were content to stay safe on dry land. You bid them quick farewells, holding their attention no longer than necessary. </p><p>As you strode through the town, you bumped into a beautiful woman. Long dark hair hung below her shoulders, framed her face and highlighted the mischievous glint in her eyes. She had a regal bone structure like all women of Asgard, a far fairer race but still capable of tremendous damage if angered. It was easy to see how your ancestors had mistaken them for gods; their beauty was beyond compare and their wrath burned as brightly as the sun. </p><p>Unlike the majority of those in New Asgard, the woman wore clothes fit for the golden halls of their home-world. Substituting functional work garbs for something far more eye catching, she wore tight black trousers that emphasised each and every curve and a soft, laced bodice held her shoulders back proudly like a queen of old. The pure, golden jewellery around her neck and wrist, twisting like a snake around her skin, no more belonged in a fishing village than one of Stark’s flashy cars. </p><p>It took far too long to realise that you were staring, mouth wide open, at the beautiful woman. Fumbling for your manners, you nodded courteously and said, “I’m sorry. I’ll watch where I step next time.”</p><p>    “No harm done, I assure you.”</p><p>    “I haven’t seen you around here before,” you said. “Arrive recently?”</p><p>She eyed you curiously, her gaze like a sensual touch of a lover exploring your body for the first time. More confident than you, she made no attempt to hide her staring, her grin wide as she finally lifted her attention back to your face. “I only arrived a few days past. I am Leia.”</p><p>“Like in Star Wars?” You couldn’t hide your surprise but at the same time there was no air of falsity around her. Her voice was smooth against your skin, soft and sensual, drawing you in. A sure fire sign of a professional liar but even as you pushed past the pretty words you found no reason not to believe what she said was true. </p><p>    “I suppose I have seen a fair share of those, yes. If you’ll excuse me. I have places to be.” She nodded politely. “Good day.”</p><p>That certainly ranked as one of the strangest interactions you’d had with an Asgardian since you started liaising with them but then many of the people were just a bit odd by your standards. Pushing those thoughts aside, you followed the stony path to the main hall and greeted Brunnhilde, Queen of New Asgard. </p><p>Her usual puffer jacket and cargo trousers exchanged for something more formal, a dark leather suit and light armour, it was the bare minimum required to show her status without appearing either pompous or threatening. It was rare indeed that she dressed for an occasion at all and you were suddenly quite glad to have come in your best suit too. </p><p>You bowed to the queen and received a sharp punch to the shoulder in return, the dull throbbing pain signifying that you’d have quite a lovely bruise later tonight. “I’ve told you not to do that.”</p><p>The truth. You didn’t need your powers to sense that. Three years had passed since she took up the responsibility of royalty and while she had blossomed as the new queen the crown still sat uncomfortably on her head. </p><p>Taking your seats at the dark oak table, you ran your fingers over the intricate engravings. Sharp runic designs intersected sweeping curves, a beautiful design unlike any other in the world. The Asgardians hadn’t been able to save much from their home-world but their skills and traditions lived on in their people. Brunnhilde took great strides to ensure that they were on display as much as possible. </p><p>You thanked the young man that offered you both a goblet of water and took a long sip of the cool drink. Turning to the Asgardian queen, you asked, “Are you ready for this?”</p><p>    “It was so much easier when i could just scavenge what I needed,” she sighed. “All this diplomatic shit is exhausting. They’re never honest with their demands.”</p><p>    “Well, that’s why I’m here, right? Don’t worry, Hilde. It’ll be fine.” She straightened in her chair, nodding gratefully. Opposite, the seats of her guests were still unoccupied but there was also one on her right hand side which remained empty too. “Who’s the other chair for?”</p><p>    “Loki.”</p><p>That was certainly not what you’d expected. The last you had heard, the prince was running wild around the universe, causing trouble and jumping through space and time to stir up mischief. Watched by Dr Strange and other interested parties (your security wasn’t high enough for all the details but rumours of a time agency had been circulating), Loki was thankfully never able to cause too much damage. </p><p>Most on New Asgard cared little for the prince’s schemes now. They were more focused on settling down and creating a new life here on Earth. So long as his antics were far away from them, no one gave him much thought anymore. </p><p>That was what made his return so curious. “He came back?”</p><p>She nodded, not impressed. “Got arrested by the equivalent of the interstellar police and was given the choice of either spending the next hundred years in a prison or beng confined to Earth. Unfortunately, Loki chose Earth. She prefers to be addressed as a woman too, now, just so you know.”</p><p>    “Understood.”</p><p>The guards at door stood to attention, their regal Asgardian spears at odds with the dark, human clothing, and the visiting delegation walked in, decked head to toe in pompous robes. The patchwork fabrics shimmered in the sunlight, held together by threads of pure Shivrao, the most expensive silk this side of the quadrant. </p><p>You share a look with Brunnhilde, neither of you impressed by the tasteless sense of wealth, and rise to greet them. Once the necessary formalities were done, you sat and glanced at the still empty chair. “Where is Loki?”</p><p>    “We cannot wait for your advisor,"the delegation leader said distastefully. "We have a busy schedule.”</p><p>“Gentlethems of Traxia Four, Loki shall be here shortly, I assure you.”</p><p>Practically summoned by your words, the doors swung open and a woman strode in - Leia! How could it be? You’d sensed no hint of a lie from her before; perhaps that was how she prefered to be addressed now. If that was the case, it was not necessarily a lie but then why would Brunnhilde still refer to her as Loki? </p><p>As the negotiations began, it became more obvious to you that something really strange was happening. You suffered no difficulty in picking up on every lie and falsity that the Traxians spun  but even when you knew Loki was outright lying about the goods available you couldn’t detect a single thing from her. </p><p>Neither side willing to shift on their offers, Brunnhilde called a break and you took the opportunity to confront Loki. You grabbed her by the elbow and pulled her into the corner. “How are you doing it?”</p><p>    “Doing what, my dear?”</p><p>    “You know why I am here?”</p><p>    “I suspect that it’s to do with the New Asgard accords with the U.N. that require a human representative to attend each interplanetry deal to ensure that it won’t negatively affect your own people.”</p><p>Smart arse. “But me specifically…”</p><p>Loki looked you over and a bright grin spread across her face. She lit up like the North star in a cloudy night’s sky, beautiful and scary. “Oh. You’re them. The human lie detector.”</p><p>    “I have a name.”</p><p>    “I’m sure,” she hummed drolly. Loki leant against the wall, closing the gap between you. This close, you could practically hear her heartbeat. She eyed you with wonder, laced with a dangerous look. A warning as she concocted all the possible ways to use your powers for her own gain. “This is fascinating. You really cannot tell my truth from my lies?”</p><p>Uncertain how much you should tell her, you said vaguely, “It is more unclear than with others.”</p><p>Loki saw straight through your words and her smile grew even wider. “This is a treat indeed.”</p><p>By some luck, you were called back to the negotiation table then. Loki clung to your side as you crossed the room and, as you parted around New Asgard’s queen, she whispered, “We shall continue this conversation.”</p><p>True to her word, Loki sought you out at the end of the day’s negotiations, eager to test her hypothesis from the earlier. Night had fallen over the town, the distinction clearer here than in most places. While New Asgard was linked up to the power and communication networks, the residents of the town preferred to light the night the old fashioned way with nothing more than candles along the path. It would be most romantic if not for Loki’s devious intentions. </p><p>    “I propose a game,” she said, offering you her arm. As a royal, despite her best efforts to be stripped of the title and position, you had little choice in accepting and you linked your arm reluctantly with hers. However, once there, you found a surprising comfort in her presence as you strode through the dimly lit streets. </p><p>Drawn in by her enthusiasm, you sighed, “What do you suggest?”</p><p>    “I shall provide you three statements and all you must do is choose which one is a lie. Your abilities would make it easy in others but I am curious as to how they might work with me.”</p><p>Honestly, you were pretty curious too. Never had you met anyone able to hide their truths so meticulously from you as Loki could. Perhaps if you learned how to read her, discovered her cues and honed your powers, it would be for the best. A training exercise of sorts. It was certainly easier to think of it that way than consider the reality: that you were merely entertaining the princess with your ineptitude and bolstering her ego. </p><p>Certain that you would eventually come to regret this, you nodded. “I accept.”</p><p>    “One: As a child, my brother and I sat together beneath the blossom trees and watched the guards train. Two: I enjoy the taste of a freshly picked Jarta fruit above all other foods. Three: My personal library on Asgard was larger than any building on Midgard.”</p><p>None of the options made your skin crawl, none gave even the slightest glimmer of falsity. With little knowledge of Asgard to make an educated guess, you went straight down the middle and chose option two. </p><p>Loki clapped gleefully. “Wrong! One was the lie. Describe to me what you felt.”</p><p>    “Nothing,” you shrugged. “No possibility stood out as an obvious lie.”</p><p>    “Compared to what? Explain how your powers usually work.”</p><p>You rolled your eyes, her ordering tone grating on your nerves. Some game this had turned out to be; it was more like walking straight into an interrogation. Still, you found yourself explaining the usual feeling of ants crawling beneath your skin, the uncomfortable heat on the back of your neck and the itch in the corners of your mind which alerted you to a lie. </p><p>    “Fascinating. Let us try once more.”</p><p>One more round turned into three before you finally arrived at your destination. Or, rather, Loki’s. She had guided you through the town to her own home, situated on the complete opposite side of the town to your own guest accommodations. </p><p>Loki met your irritation was a smile and pressed a soft kiss to the back of your hand, her soft lips lingering a moment longer than was dictated by protocol. Loki opened her door and said, “This has been most illuminating. I shall see you tomorrow, my dear. Good evening.”</p><p>With that, she shut the door to her cottage in your face and left you out in the cool evening air alone. Shaking your head, you turned on your heels and headed back to your accommodation, still able to feel where her lips had brushed your skin. </p><p>***</p><p>You stumbled into the kitchen and slapped your hand down on the alarm button. Should have just left the clock in the bedroom like a normal person so you could snooze it and get another ten minutes of sleep. Alas, duty called and you couldn’t waste a single moment of preparation before the next day of negotiations with the Traxia delegation. </p><p>Slipping past Loki, you popped two slices of bread into the toaster and poured yourself a glass of milk. A moment later, the glass shattered as it hit the ground, the realisation that you had company only just setting in. “What are you doing here?” you hissed. </p><p>    “One: I have a particular distrust of cats. Two: Thor once cut my hair while I slept to earn a gold coin on a dare. Three: My mother and I were very close.”</p><p>You groaned, nowhere near awake enough to deal with this right now. Searching for a broom, you asked, “Will you help me clear this up?”</p><p>Met with no response, you reached up and your hand passed straight through her leg. An illusion, of course. Moments later, Loki’s image re-solidified, perched on the edge of the counter as she watched you fumble with your now burnt toast. “Well?”</p><p>    “Could this not have waited?”</p><p>    “Possibly but I was bored and you are the most exciting thing to happen for months.”</p><p>Almost touched by that, you decided to go along with the game. You asked to hear the options again but were still none the wiser as to which was wrong, although the softness of Loki’s face as she spoke of her mother helped eliminate that option as the lie. Taking another guess, you chose option one and it was only by luck that you were right. </p><p>The game continued as you prepared for the day. Slipping behind the wardrobe door to change, you pulled the night shirt over your head and said, “Alright, hit me with the next ones.”</p><p>    “One: I have never frequented a Midgardian tavern. Two: I am incredibly proficient at the lute. Three: I think you look beautiful today.”</p><p>    “The last,” you said. No one ever gave you the time of day so that had to be the lie. You closed the wardrobe door and stepped out straight into Loki’s chest.</p><p>She backed you against the wall, the tingle of her magic against skin and you almost wished that she were here. Loki lifted her perfectly manicured hand and cupped your cheek, her answer lingering in the air as her image faded. “Wrong.”</p><p>Still able to feel her touch, you smiled at the ground and finished getting ready to face the day ahead. </p><p>***</p><p>This game between you and Loki continued, long after you left New Asgard. Every morning, regardless of where in the world your work with the U.N. took you, she would be there, waiting, in the kitchen (or more recently on the edge of your mattress) with a new set of truths and lies. Months had passed since that first meeting but you were still no more able to read her than you were a rock.</p><p>To shake things up, you would occasionally supply your own set of three statements for her to guess. Loki always seemed to enjoy learning about you. She considered each option with forensic detail and had as much of a talent for picking out lies as you did - with anyone other than her, of course. </p><p>From these daily morning games, entire conversations began to stem and you soon found yourself becoming fast friends with the Asgardian. She became a regular fixture in your life, much to the curiosity of Brunnhilde who was honestly more happy that you were keeping Loki out of trouble than anything else, and you grew worried on the days she neglected to visit. Thankfully, they were few and far between. </p><p>Woken by the morning sun as it streamed through your window, the first sight of the day was Loki’s face beside you - what you’d give to have that every day for the rest of your life. Somehow, Loki wriggled her way straight into your heart. You anticipated every conversation, savoured each new detail of her life. </p><p>When you wandered through the local markets, separated by thousands of miles, you would buy her favourite foods and flowers just to feel closer to her, to see her smile when she saw them the next day. There was nothing quite like Loki’s smile. Her beauty was beyond compare and not even the greatest artist would be able to capture the light in her eyes.</p><p>You couldn’t say when it happened but you knew that you loved her. There was no denying it. Loki was unlike anyone you had ever met before. Beautiful, of course, yet it was her mind you loved the most. Her sharp wit and endless sarcasm, the way she found beauty in the worst things. She had a harsh tongue, capable of reducing the strongest willed to a blubbering mess, but she never turned it on you. </p><p>And the way she touched you, on the very rare occasions you shared the same physical space, simply sent your mind racing, lifted you to a plane where there was nothing but light and peace and wonder. You could hardly imagine a life without her now. </p><p>Today, she’d made herself comfortable on your bed, long limbs stretched out beside you. She wore a skirt today, black but embroidered with gold along the bottom seam. Her pale green jumper was knitted from the finest, softest fabric that the universe had to offer and her long dark hair was pulled back in an intricate braid around her face. </p><p>Her emerald eyes sparkled as she took in your sleepy expression but you felt no embarrassment at being caught this way. She had seen you on far worse days to care about your frizzy bed hair or smudged makeup from the night before. Lips curved in an oh-so-kissable smile, Loki hummed, “Good morning.”</p><p>    “My Queen.”</p><p>    “Don’t you know it, darling. Would you like to play now or wait until you’ve eaten?”</p><p>Something about her tone left you squirming beneath the bed sheets, thoughts of an entirely different kind of game rolling through your mind. A blush crept across your skin and Loki smirked through the darkness. You scrambled out of bed, smoothing your pyjamas as you headed for the kitchen, able to feel the princess’s warm gaze following you. </p><p>You wrapped a thin dressing gown around your shoulders, somehow feeling even more naked than before, and muttered, “Let’s play now, then. Get it over and done with. I’ll only get it wrong anyway.”</p><p>    “Oh, darling, no need to be like that. I’ll give you easy ones so you don’t strain your beautiful mind.” Loki swung her legs off the bed and prowled towards you like a tigress. For each step she took forward, you took another back until you were flush against the wall. “One: I cannot swim. Two: I long for the golden halls of Asgard true. Three: I love you.”</p><p>Your breath caught in your throat and your chest grew so tight that you could hardly breathe. How foolish of you to believe that you were beyond Loki’s sharp tongue after all. Slipping beneath her arms, you walked calmly to the kitchen without a word and set about preparing a cup of tea. All the while, you fought to keep a straight face and withhold the tears that threatened to spill down your cheeks. </p><p>    “Have you nothing to say?”</p><p>    “You are a cruel mistress, Loki.”</p><p>    “I do not understand. I thought… Rather, I was quite certain indeed that you might…” She crossed the void between you and held you by the shoulders, the physical contact jarring. You shot back, unable to believe that she was really here. Loki didn’t chase the connection. Instead, her hands fell to her sides, disappeared into hidden pockets within the voluptuous folds of her skirt, and a stiff rejection solidified her expression. “If I misread the situation, I apologise.”</p><p>You caught her hand as she turned to leave, still half convinced that this was all a trick of your exhausted mind. Tracing the soft scars on her skin with your thumb, you whispered, “Don’t go.”</p><p>    “I shall not linger where my company is unwanted.”</p><p>    “It’s wanted. A lot. I just…” Your mind was racing, barely able to pull together a coherent thought. It was like watching a rope unravel and being stuck, unable to pull the fraying pieces back together. You were falling into a pit without a harness, jumping from a moving train, chasing a hope as if your very life depended on it. Heart racing, almost scared to hear the truth, you asked, “I have to know: which is the lie?”</p><p>Loki regarded you with great trepidation, seeking out a malicious intention that would never, could never, be present. There was such fear in her gaze, the kind that you had thought her far too brave to hold. Cautious, reluctant to open her heart after suffering so much in the past, she closed the gap between you and cupped your cheek. “I have not longed for the great halls of my home-world for many years now.”</p><p>    “You can’t swim?” You almost choked on your tears, the pitiful laugh that followed full of desperate need as you traced the sharp line of her jaw, fingers trembling against her perfect, pale skin. </p><p>She shook her head, the movement barely visible.</p><p>    “So you… You really do…?”</p><p>    “Indeed. May I dare to believe that you return the sentiment?" </p><p>If not for her fingers twitching by her side, Loki would have been the perfect picture of cool and collected. You knew differently, though. You’d spent enough time together over the past months to pick up on the subtle action and wasted no time in providing your answer. </p><p>    "Yes. Yes, I do.” Another quiet laugh escaped your lips as her smile lit up your world like a supernova. Truly, you could have searched the entire galaxy and not found a single star or nebula so bright, so extraordinarily beautiful as Loki was right now. </p><p>You tilted your chin up, the silent request perfectly clear. Loki, always the merciful queen, brushed her lips across yours. Sparks danced across your skin as her arm snaked around your centre and pulled you against her body, finally where you had dreamt so often of being. </p><p>She deepened the kiss, carried you away to another reality entirely where there were no worries, no dark memories or pain, only you and Loki. While the kiss may have ended and your physical body returned to this realm, your hearts and souls remained in that safe place together, where nothing separated you for the remainder of your long, and fantastically happy, lives.</p>
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